The Avenue

The Avenue

Location Details

Sure, Oakland is a diverse city, but when it comes to socializing, most subcultures tend to balkanize — the heshers over here, the hip-hoppers over there, the burners somewhere in between. Not so at The Avenue. Due in part to the neighborhood demographic, Temescal's beloved dive bar attracts all sorts of folks: the Ethiopian and Eritrean residents, East Bay Rats, tattooed metal heads, grungy fixie riders, people who look like they're from Castro Valley, artsy hipsters, jocks, wallflowers, and whoever else. Appropriately, the Internet jukebox provides the soundtrack: The Notorious B.I.G. one minute, Queens of the Stone Age the next. Best of all, there never appears to be any hint of turf war about whose bar this really is — and they all co-mingle over the pool table. The drinks are stiff and cheap; the bartenders no-nonsense; and the homey vibe as unpretentious as you can get. Yep, totally Oakland.